More than half the funds required to build Masjid Negara were raised through contributions, which came from Malaysians of all races. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Kamal Ariffin Mohd Yazid, August 22, 2015.
Masjid Negara, or National Mosque, will be celebrating its 50th anniversary on August 28, three days before the 58th Merdeka celebrations.
Each year, the iconic mosque in Kuala Lumpur receives more than 240,000 domestic and international visitors, among which was United States President Barack Obama in April last year.
As Malaysia embarks on a month-long Merdeka celebration, it is an opportune time to revisit the history of the mosque for a lesson in unity and patriotism.
According to the book “Masjid Negara” published by Massa Monographs in 1965, the decision to build a mosque to commemorate the country’s independence was made by the government leaders a month before independence was declared.
A working committee under then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk (later Tun) Abdul Razak was established to implement the idea.
Of the RM10 million needed to build the mosque, RM4.5 million was from the federal government. It is how the balance was collected that makes heartwarming Malaysian history.
It was raised through the first large-scale fund raising campaign in the country. "Our appeal was met with positive feedback. We started getting donations from individuals and organisations representing various races, which clearly showed how united the people were,” reads an excerpt from the book.
Contributions came from members of the armed forces, Malaysian students abroad, the Brunei government, Yayasan Shaw (under Shaw Brothers Film Company) and the South India Muslim Mosque Committee.
Tunku Abdul Rahman, who was prime minister of the time, expressed his gratitude at the generosity of the contributors.
"To me, the mosque represents the unity of Malaysians as funding for the mosque also came from non-Muslims who were loyal to the country.
"This is something special in our country," said Tunku in his message in the book.
The mosque architect, Datuk Dr Baharuddin Abu Kassim, said people were so happy to be recognised as citizens and proud to be a part of the country that they were more than willing to help build the mosque.
"The miners were especially happy. They said they had become rich because of the country’s tin, and asked why no one had asked them to donate. They gladly donated out of their own free will," the 86-year-old recounted.
How the mosque got its name is another important piece of its history.
According to the book, the chief ministers of 11 states had in a meeting on March 5, 1958, agreed on the name Masjid Tunku Abdul Rahman in honour of the crown prince's sacrifices for Malaysia’s independence.
Tunku, however, declined the honour and proposed that the mosque be named Masjid Negara instead.
Baharuddin said Tunku often reminded members of the working committee that the mosque was for the country.
It was initially proposed for the mosque to be built near Parliament, another symbol of independence.
Baharuddin proposed that the mosque be built next to the Lake Gardens for architectural reasons, but Tunku chose the location near the Kuala Lumpur railway station.
"Tunku believed that that would make it easier for those travelling to Kuala Lumpur from other states to use the mosque," Baharuddin said.
Tunku has gone on record saying that it was fated that the National Mosque be erected there.
"During the colonial administration, government buildings had mushroomed in the area, but nobody had chosen this particular site for development.
"The steep slope and hilly terrain made it a most unlikely place to build the mosque. When I looked at the vacant site, I felt as if God had intended for the National Mosque to be built here," Tunku was reported to have said in the Malayan Times on August 28, 1965.
Construction took five years. On Friday, August 27, 1965, the National Mosque was declared open by the third Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Putra.
Fifty years later, the mosque with its distinctive blue umbrella-shaped dome, continues to thrive as a venue for Islamic "dakwah" activities, hosting up to 15,000 Muslims during Friday prayers.
It was also the venue for the national-level Mosque Library Conference, which took place at the Dewan Syarahan on August 11 and 12.
On its Golden Jubilee, under the leadership of Grand Imam Tan Sri Syaikh Ismail Muhammad, the mosque hopes to impart to all Malaysians, especially the youth, the meaning and significance of its existence. – Bernama
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